Today, many different communication tools are available for users in a network to communicate with one another. Communication tools allow a user to convey one or more messages to one or more users. Communication tools may be visual, audible, and/or a combination of both. Examples of communication tools include, but are not limited to, postal mail, electronic messaging (email), instant messaging, chat rooms, text messaging, telephone calls, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, document sharing tools, file transfer tools, or any other tool used for communicating a message.
Each communication tool has features or functionality that makes the tool suitable for different types of communication. For example, some communication tools may be used to convey a message rapidly, whereas, other communication tools, although not as fast, may provide reliability and/or a delivery guarantee. In addition, some communication tools require users on the transmitting and receiving ends to be available concurrently to be able to convey the message while other communication tools may be able to communicate messages without the transmitting and receiving parties being concurrently available.
In general, a user initiating the communication selects a communication tool to convey a message based on some criteria (e.g., subject matter of dialogue, availability of recipients, speed of delivery, delivery guarantee, urgency of delivery, available time for dialogue, available communication tools, knowledge of communication tools, efficiency of dialogue, or any other criteria deemed important by the user). In response to receiving one or more messages, a recipient generally responds back using the same communication tool. As messages are sent back and forth, users generate a dialogue using the communication tool initially selected by the original user. However, the communication tool selected by the user may not be suitable for the dialogue between the users.